Republic Acts

REPUBLIC ACTS

REPUBLIC
ACT NO. 518

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 518 - AN
ACT GRANTING THE MANILA BROADCASTING COMPANY A TEMPORARY PERMIT TO
CONSTRUCT, MAINTAIN AND OPERATE RADIO BROADCASTING STATIONS IN THE
PHILIPPINES

Section 1.
Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, as well as of Act
Numbered Three thousand eight hundred and forty-six, entitled "An Act
providing for the regulation of radio stations and radio communications
in the Philippine Islands, and for other purposes"; Act Numbered Three
thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven, known as the Radio Broadcasting
Law; Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred and forty-six, known as the
Public Service Act, and their amendments, and other applicable laws,
the Manila Broadcasting Company, is hereby granted, a temporary permit
to construct, maintain, and operate, for commercial purposes and in the
public interest, radio broadcasting stations in the Philippines:
Provided, That this temporary permit shall be void unless the
construction of at least one radio broadcasting station be begun within
one and a half years from the approval of said temporary permit:
Provided, further, That the grantee shall provide adequate public
service time to enable the Government, through the stations herein
authorized, to reach the population on important public issues; shall
assist in the functions of public information and education; shall
conform to the ethics of honest enterprise; and shall not use said
stations for the broadcasting of obscene or indecent language or
speech, or for the dissemination of deliberately false information or
willful misrepresentation, or to the detriment of the public health, or
to incite, encourage or assist in subversive or treasonable acts.

Sec. 2. The grantee shall file a bond in the
amount of fifty thousand pesos to guaranty for the full compliance and
fulfillment of the conditions under which this temporary permit is
granted.

Sec. 3. In the event of any competing individual,
partnership or corporation receiving from the Congress a similar
temporary permit in which there shall be any term or terms more
favorable than those herein granted or tending to place the herein
grantee at any disadvantage, then such term or terms shall, ipso facto,
become a part of the terms hereof and shall operate equally in favor of
the grantee as in the case of said competing individual, partnership or
corporation.

Sec. 4. In the event the Government should desire
to maintain and operate for itself any or all of the radio broadcasting
stations herein authorized, the grantee shall turn over such station or
stations to the Government with all the serviceable equipment therein,
at cost, less reasonable depreciation.

Sec. 5. The grantee shall be liable to pay the
same taxes on its real estate, buildings and personal property
exclusive of the temporary permit, as other persons or corporations are
now or hereafter may be required by law to pay.

Sec. 6. The grantee shall not require any previous
censorship of any speech, play or other matter to be broadcast from its
station; but if any such speech, play or other matter should constitute
a violation of the law or infringement of a private right, the grantee
shall be free from liability, civil, or criminal, for such speech, play
or other matter: Provided, That the grantee, during any broadcast may
cut off from ther the speech, play or other matter being broadcast if
the tendency thereof is to propose and/or incite treason, rebellion or
sedition, or the language used therein or the theme thereof is indecent
or immoral.